Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Dungeon of Harrow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 6, 2018

In the general DIY movement of horror cinema in the 1960s, perhaps spurred on by successes achieved by Hammer Films and Roger Corman, more than few oddball productions managed to sneak their way into release. 1962’s “The Dungeon of Harrow” is one such picture, with co-writer/director Pay Boyette trying to create his own gothic nightmare with only a few passable ideas, struggling with budget issues and a strange imagination for evildoing inside a remote castle. “The Dungeon of Harrow” is painfully inert at times, but for those who have the patience for slow-drip suspense, the feature does have the advantage of an ending, with all the sluggishness, crude technical achievements, and labored performances actually leading somewhere for a change, though it takes an incredible amount of patience to get there.

A man of privilege, Fallon (Russ Harvey) shipwrecks on a remote island, looking for help with The Captain (Lee Morgan). They find refuge in a castle owned by Count de Sade (William McNulty), who’s recently lost his mind, soon imprisoning Fallon and sending The Captain to the torture rack, agonized by the muscle of the house, Mantis (Maurice Harris). Fallon tries to put together the mystery behind the Count’s isolated existence, working secretly with his servant, Cassandra (Helen Hogan), to learn more about his jailer and his emotional attachment to a special hidden crypt, all the while searching for a way off an island that receives no visitors or supplies.

Boyette spares many expenses during “The Dungeon of Harrow,” with the opening shipwreck sequence showcasing an obvious toy boat churning in blackened bathtub waters. The special effects don’t improve during the viewing experience, but at least the scope of the feature is dialed down to simple castle investigation, following Farrow as his misplaced bravado has him challenging The Count, who’s been recently visited by a ghost housed in his own mind, and has a preference for drawing out deaths for a long as possible, delighting in torture. He’s not well, and “The Dungeon of Harrow” welcomes such mental illness, which permits the picture a chance to spice up what’s basically a talky showdown between the visitor and his hostile hosts. Boyette throttles the weirdness with bland, windy dialogue, but the B-movie blips spread around the production are amusing, including The Count’s ghost summoning a giant bat and spider (with visible wires) to torment him, and there’s Mantis, who’s dressed like mid-1990s Dennis Rodman, caught stifling laughs during his performance.

Dungeon of Harrow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is the roughest looking of the "5 Years 5 Films" set, finding "The Dungeon of Harrow" restrained by age and obscurity, with Vinegar Syndrome working uphill to make this tiny feature ready for HD. Wear and tear is obvious throughout, with the left side of the frame showcasing long stretches of damage, joining speckling, scratches, mild judder, and rough reel changes. Clarity isn't available, offering a soft viewing experience, losing set decoration nuances. Color is acceptable, delivering accurate hues with costuming and castle tours, and skintones remain natural. Delineation is adequate, with original cinematography not making it easy to see anything as evening activities take over.

Dungeon of Harrow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the visual experience, the 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is hampered by age-related issues, offering a muddy listening event where it's periodically difficult to make out dialogue exchanges. The majority of performances are intact, just not precise. Scoring isn't defined, offering a wall of music to boost suspense without compelling instrumentation. It's a cacophonous track, but not entirely limited, with the basics of horror preserved.

Dungeon of Harrow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Dungeon of Harrow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Dungeon of Harrow" finds a way to connect the dots to reach a satisfying conclusion, and while there's nothing significant to the dramatic direction, there's enough to a macabre tone to make the arduous journey to the end credits almost worth it. The rest of the picture deals mainly with monologues and long tours of the castle, with characters working through dense cobwebs and blowing fog, trying to maintain their dignity. It's a losing battle, but as cult entertainment goes, at least "The Dungeon of Harrow" has the kindness offer something more than vagueness as it endeavors to leave audiences with a sense of eerie unease after 75 minutes of clock-checking.